US gov advised to SUE GOOGLE by FTC over patent trade wars

The US government has reportedly been advised by the Federal Trade Commission to sue Google for breaching competition law, because of the ad giant's requests to US courts to prevent the sale of goods it claims infringe its essential patents.

According to Bloomberg, which cites anonymous sources, the five-member Federal Trade Commission put the recommendation to the White House in a report, but no decision will be made until after the presidential election on 6 November.

Google attempted to have some US imports of Microsoft and Apple products barred from stores because, the company claimed, its key smartphone technology patents - owned by Mountain View's Motorola Mobility division - had been violated.

The FTC declined to comment on the Bloomberg story, but Google said it would be "happy to answer any questions" put to it by the consumer watchdog.

The company added: "We take our commitments to license on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms very seriously." ®